Germany's Karpa and Sievers win gold in beach volleyball World Tour

MANILA -- Germany’s Max-Jonas Karpa and Milan Sievers scored a 2-1 (15-21, 23-21, 15-9) victory over Russia's Petr Bakhnar and Taras Myskiv to win the gold medal in the men's division of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open at the Sands SM By The Bay on Sunday night.

The Germans also prevailed over the Russians, 14-21, 21-18, 16-14 in the elimination round.

"It's unbelievable, we never expected to win," said Sievers after the 48-minute match.

It was the first gold medal for the Germans, who have played in four World Tour events, while the Russian pair bagged their second consecutive silver medals after finishing second in Langkawi, Malaysia last week.

Karpa and Sievers also defeated Switzerland's Michiel Zandbergen and Gabriel Kisling, 21-17, 21-16, to arrange a championship showdown with Bakhnar and Myskiv, who rallied past Spain's Alejandro and Javier Huerta, 21-18, 17-21, 20-18., in the semifinal.

Zandbergen and Kisling settled for the bronze medal after posting a 2-1 (22-20, 19-21, 15-13) win over their Spanish rivals.

In the women's division, Japan's Ayumi Kusano and Takemi Nishibori stamped their class over Spain's Paula Soria and Maria Belen Carro, 2-0 ( 21-14, 21-18), in the final.

"We're so happy to win. Our opponents are taller but we played smart," said Kusano, who ruled the Spike for Peace Invitational Championship at the Philsports Arena in 2015.

Kusano and Nishibori defeated compatriots Tanaka Shinako and Fujii Sakurako, 2-0 (21-13, 21-16), while Soria and Carro downed Paraguay's Erika Bobadilla and Michelle Amarilla, 2-0 (21-16, 21-15) in the semifinal round.

Bobadilla and Amarilla took the bronze medal following a 21-17, 21-16 victory over Shinako and Sakurako in the battle for third place.

Aside from the medals, the top three teams received cash prizes in the event promoted by E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd and organized by Beach Volleyball Republic Inc. (PNA)